Creating Healthy Habits

In a busy world, it can be easy to make excuses and let lose sight of the things that we should make a priority every day. Our health should be our number one investment, and at GEL we do our best to ensure that we set our members up for success.

This year, we have launched Annual Spring into Summer Challenge in the Health Club which is a six-week challenge running from October through to the beginning of December.

The challenge saw over 300 motivated members get involved to make changes to their daily habits, to improve the way they are feeling and create habits that will last beyond the challenge.

As individuals, our habits become deeply ingrained over time and our brain automatically initiates patterns of behaviour in response to situations or stimulus. To ensure that we create habits that last, we need to take time to define our plan or strategy.

Throughout the challenge, our trainers delivered weekly POD (Point of Difference) sessions which discussed a variety of topics from Planning (Our training, our meals and our sleeping patterns) to key motivations. Being prepared is everything.

So for example, if we think about our meal planning, we should be establishing a weekly plan that we stick to. In order to consider what we’re eating, we may look at:

A 7-day Meal Plan

Finding nutritional recipes, that excite us and our taste buds

Writing your recipe list, and making it realistic

Going shopping to buy your ingredients, and sticking to the list

Setting aside time to prepare your meals accordingly.

To ensure that you stay on track - plan with a friend, family member or your trainer to help you stay accountable. Revisit your plan each month and make changes if something is not working for you!

To be successful in changing your habits requires consistency. Every time you decide to exercise, go to bed early or eat a nutritious meal you are one step closer to making these a habit. Habit changing comes from making these small decisions again and again. Eventually you will just do them without thinking, just like brushing your teeth.

Creating new healthy habits and getting rid of unhealthy habits takes time. Be kind yourself, and remind yourself that there is always another day to make great choices.

Remember WHY you are doing it. It won’t happen overnight but it will happen!